BJ healthcare reimbursement checks arriving in the mail

The Beacon Journal’s reimbursement checks for those Composing and Guild retirees who won their healthcare lawsuit have begun arriving in the mail. The 50 retirees and spouses are being reimbursed for the difference between what they paid after the BJ unilaterally changed healthcare coverage for prescriptions and medical care and what they would have paid under the UnitedHealthcare AARP Plan N and Medicare supplement package set up as part of the settlement.

The reimbursements are for 2005 through 2012. The BJ set aside $100,000. Since that total was not exceeded, the BJ paid 100% of the accepted claims amount.

The prescription co-pay cards revert to $2 (Guild) and $5 (printers) for 30 days, or $4 and $10 for 90 days if the lawsuit beneficiaries use Medical Mutual (Medco) prescription mail-ins. That was the retirement day coverage before Black Press made its 2007 changes after purchasing the Beacon Journal.

In John Olesky’s case, his first round of 90-day prescriptions had a value listed in excess of $1,000 but John paid only $44. 

Those effected by the prescription co-pay restoration also no longer need to worry about hitting the donut hole (usually in mid-year), when they had to pay 100% and later 50% of the prescription’s costs. In Olesky’s case, this means a savings of $2,000 to $3,000 a year for prescriptions alone. 

Some probably will save more.

Benefitting from the settlement are Gina White, of Venice, Florida, who with the late Dave White, her husband, began the lawsuit on behalf of the printers; Bob and Linda Abbott, Massillon; Ruth and Tom West, Rittman; Sid Sprague, Loveland, Colorado; Hugh and Sharon Downing, The Villages, Florida; Larnie and Stephanie Greene, Hartville; Joe Catalano, Akron; Lloyd and Claudine Bigelow, Cuyahoga Falls; John Costello, Akron; Dick Gresock, Medina; Henry and Kathleen Heinbuck, North Canton; Denzil Parker, Wadsworth; Francis and Rita Reeves, Akron; Bob Walker, Medina; Cecil and Josephine Santaferro, Akron; Isabel Watson (Blanton’s widow), Naples, Florida; Janice Hogg (Trammel’s widow), Waynesville, North Carolina; Russ and Martel Bendel, Wadsworth; Eunice and Bonnie Collins, Copley; Richard and Patricia Fair, Akron; Marjorie Hanna, Wadsworth; Ed Hanzel, Barberton; Bob Kendall, Berlin Center; Harriet Ledbetter, Canton; Norm and Naomi Mattern, Wellsville; Charles O’Neill, Akron; Fred Pollack, Akron; Don Reppart, North Canton; Ron Sanderlin, Canton; Charles Stadelman, Tallmadge; and Ray and Amaryllis Wolfe, Greentown.

Eligible on the Guild side are John Olesky, of Tallmadge, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Guild retirees; retired reporter Dick McBane, Lilburn, Georgia; maintenance retiree Harold Bailey and wife Elizabeth, Kent; copy desk retiree Dick McLinden, North Canton, and retired photographer Don Roese, Cuyahoga Falls.

If you are part of the class action and filed reimbursement claims, and don’t receive your check within the next 7 days, contact BJ Settlement Administrator Roger Messmore, BJ Comptroller, at the Beacon.